On the past few years, millons of people all over the world have become conscious of their health. Because of this healthy eating habit people started to eat fish more over red meat such as beef or pork. Truly, fish is a part of a healthy diet since fish has high protein and even contain omega 3 fatty acids that are now recognized ideal for cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, as much as some people love to eat fish such as tuna, salmon, herring or any great-tasting fish – fish allergy is also possible.

Fish allergy is a special type of allergy that afflicts many people too. Although this type of allergy is considered part of the seafood allergy where other crustaceans or mollusks trigger allergic reactions. An individual with fish allergy can still enjoy eating shrimp, squid and other seafood delights. Fish allergy happens because the body reacts to a particular protein found in certain types of fishes such as tilapia, tuna, salmon, cod, pollock etc. Aside from directly eating fish, even inhaling fumes when preparing fish like frying or grilling can trigger an allergic reaction.

Fish allergy is inidicated by the following symptoms: itching, skin rashes, and respiratory problems such as difficulty in breathing. However, the most typical indication of fish allergy that shows within 2 hours of consuming fish is “oral allergy symptom”. This starts when the mouth feels a tingling sensation especially in the lip area. Additionally, digestive problems can also occur such as diarrhea and vomiting which needs medical help. From the given fish allergy symptoms, constriction of air passageways is the most lethal since the person will have difficulty in breathing. The result could lead to anaphylactic shock wherein blood pressure falls and the person can become comatose. Epinephrine treatment is the only remedy when shock happens. In case you or your loved one show mild symptoms of fish allergy, it’s ideal to avoid eating fish.

However, some dish prepared with fish sauce which is common in Asian or Mediterranean cuisine can start fish allergy when eating out. A good way to prevent this is to avoid ordering food prepared in such cuisine to be very safe.

Fish allergy may seem to be a small deal but is actually serious since one’s health should never be compromised.